On any given night in King County, more than 8,000 people of all ages don’t have a place to call home.

Last week, the Committee to End Homelessness in King County met in the U-District to assess and discuss a 10-year plan to “place a roof over every bed in King County” by 2014.

The United Way of King County conducted a poll of 849 adults in March 2006 and discovered that more than 60 percent believed homelessness could be eradicated with the right resources. The committee helped more than 3,000 people avoid becoming homeless in 2006, and they hope 2007 results will be similar or greater when they process last year’s data.

The number of people experiencing homelessness is still seriously high.

“There are over 2,500 people sleeping on the street a night,” said Bill Block, the committee’s project director. “Being without shelter is dangerous.”

The committee, however, is still in the middle of its project. Created in 2002 and fully launched in July 2005, the committee comprises 30 nonprofit organizations, businesses, local government and homeless advocacy groups.

The committee has created a detailed plan dedicated to preventing homelessness, creating more effective transitional housing, increasing the current systems in place, measuring results and informing the community.

Ending homelessness, however, is a process requiring the willingness of the homeless.

“It’s not whether the rain stays off your head, it’s whether you center your life,” Block said.

Part of the committee’s plan is to construct more housing, an increasingly urgent issue.

“In the first year, we turned away 250 people, the next year we turned away 500, and now we’ve turned away as many as 1,000,” said Sinan Demirel, executive director of Roots Young Adult Shelter.

The 10-year plan estimates that 9,500 housing units will be needed to be successful, including 4,500 new units and renovation to 5,000 already existing units. These new households, which will include capable staff, will be affordable, easily accessible and relevant to the individuals’ needs.

Since 2006, King County has opened 630 new rental units and helped make 333 more units accessible to the homeless. The different housing units accommodate both single adults and families.

“I am formerly homeless,” said Joe Ingram, executive director of the Homeless Publication Street Outreach. Ingram became homeless after serving in the military. “I didn’t know what the services were that were available to me. I didn’t know where to go, and the services I did try weren’t right for me. Providers used to have an agenda, but today they are asking how they can help.”

Homelessness also affects college-aged adults. Some find themselves in limbo between services that are geared toward children and services more appropriate for adults.

“There is also a need for a young adult system,” Block said. “A lot of kids from age 18-24 just aren’t comfortable in the adult system.” Many foster kids are removed from the foster care system at age 18 and often become victims of stress and experience homelessness. To combat this issue, in 2006 the Washington state Legislature allowed 12.5 percent of 18-year-old foster kids to remain in their homes until they turn 21 as long as they are enrolled in a post-secondary school.

“The next step in the plan is wanting people to graduate from the transitional housing,” Block said. “You need to keep them connected to the community. That is how you help them move on.”